JUNIOR COLLEGE NOTEBOOK

FGCU-bound Benke leaves CF with additional award

Vanessa Benke turned in a sparkling career as a College of Central Florida volleyball player, and now leaves for the NCAA Division I level as this year's recipient of the prestigious Betty Jo Graber Award.

DOUG ENGLE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Courtesy of CF Sports Information

Published: Thursday, July 11, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, July 11, 2013 at 12:25 a.m.

During her volleyball career at the College of Central Florida, Vanessa Benke earned many awards, but recently she earned her biggest honor to date.

Vanessa Benke turned in a sparkling career as a College of Central Florida volleyball player, and now leaves for the NCAA Division I level as this year's recipient of the prestigious Betty Jo Graber Award.

DOUG ENGLE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Benke, who will continue her volleyball career at Florida Gulf Coast University this fall, was announced as the winner of the 2013 Betty Jo Graber Award by the NJCAA national office on Wednesday.

The Betty Jo Graber Award is awarded annually to the top female student-athlete in the NJCAA that best exhibits hard work, discipline, ethics and excellence in competition.

“I feel very proud of myself for being an international student and being able to receive such award,” Benke said in a press release. “This is a huge accomplishment in my life and I could not be happier. I know how hard athletes work in order to excel in what they want to pursue in life. For me, it was not any different. I gave my best to my teammates and coaches during these past two years playing at the College of Central Florida.”

The Patriots knocked off Northwest Florida State 74-69 to win the NJCAA National Title in March and all players and coaches have been rewarded for their efforts on their record-breaking season.

“We're very proud of this,” said CF athletic director Bob Zelinski “We are very thankful to the (CF Foundation) for providing the resources that allowed us to purchase the rings.

“The contributions of the foundation were very much appreciated.”

PATRIOTS IN THE PROS: Former CF pitcher Darren Fischer has a 3.86 ERA in three appearances for the Tampa Bay Rays' rookie-level Princeton Rays. Fischer was a 16th round pick of the Rays in June and faced off against former Patriot Yoenny Gonzalez, a member of the Johnson City Cardinals, another member of the Appalachian League.

Gonzalez, a center fielder, is currently hitting .217 for the Cardinals' rookie-level team. In 2012, Gonzalez was drafted in the eighth round of the major league draft.

Meanwhile, another former CF standout, Melvin Mercedes, is playing second base for the Vermont Lake Monsters in the Class A Short-Season New York-Penn League. The Lake Monsters are part of the Oakland A's system. He was drafted in the 16th round in 2012.

MORE HONORS FOR SZYMANOWSKI: The awards continue to roll in for CF softball standout Amy Szymanowksi. CF's single-season and career home run leader after an outstanding freshman season, Szymanowksi earned second-team National Fast-Pitch Coaches Association All-American honors and first-team All-South Region as an infielder.

The shortstop out of Land O'Lakes Sunlake High School hit .343 with 16 homers and 47 RBIs. She also scored 40 runs and had an impressive slugging percentage of .647 for the Patriots, who reached the finals of the FCSAA Atlantic District Tournament in 2012.

WILSON SIGNS: Tre Wilson, a standout from nearby Williston High School, inked a deal with the CF men's basketball team recently.

Wilson (6-6, 190) was a four-year letterman for the Red Devils, who have been a perennial small-school playoff squad under coach Steve Faulkner. He averaged 15.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 2.5 steals last season for Williston, which lost in the regional finals for the second straight year to Orlando Lake Highland Prep.

CHILDERS MEMORIAL: The CF men's basketball program will hold its annual golf fundraiser when the Wayne Childers Memorial Big Sun Scramble takes place on Aug. 10 at the Silver Springs Shores Country Club. The event is to help raise funds for academic/athletic scholarships, as well as other ventures related to the Patriot basketball program.